Seesaw.



' No. 880,026. 'PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908. w.- L. JENKINS.

SEBSAW.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11. 1907.

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No. 880,026. PATBNTED PER-25, 1908 w. L. JENKINS.

SEESAW.

APPLIGATION runny. 11. 1907.

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WILLIAM L. JENKINS, OF NEW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEESAW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1908.

Application filed March 11. 1907- Serial No. 361.786.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILLIAM L. J ENKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Castle, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seesaws; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 7

This invention relates to improvements in seesaws.

The object of the invention is to provide an amusement and recreation device of this character having means whereby the same may be readily operated by the occupants thereof.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a seesaw constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes a supporting frame comprising uprights or standards 2, to which are connected upper, longitudinallydisposed bars 3, and lower, longitudinally-disposed bars 4, the ends of said bars 3 and 4 being connected by inclined brace bars 5.

Pivotally mounted on the bars 3, midway between its ends, is a tilting or rocking platform 6 comprising longitudinallydisposed bars or beams 7, upon which is secured a suit able flooring 8. Arranged on each end of the rocking platform 6 are chairs 9 each of which consists of a back portion 10, front supporting legs 12, arms 13 and seat 14. The side bars of the backs 10 are pivoted at their lower ends to the beams 7 to which the lower ends of the legs 12 are also pivoted. The arms 13 are attached at their front ends to the upper ends of the legs 12 and at their rear ends to the sidebars of the backs 10, while the seats 14 are likewise attached at their rear ends to said side bars of thebacks and between their ends to the front legs 12. If desired, the chairs may be provided with suitable straps 15, by means of which the occupants may be held therein. Connected to the chair backs 10 are chains 16, the opposite ends of which are connected to rocker bars 16 pivotally mounted between the beams 7 of the platform 6. The opposite ends of the bars 16" are connected by coiled springs 16 to crossbars of the platform, as shown. When either end of the platform swings downwardly and approaches the ground, the seat or chair on said end tilts forwardly, thereby drawing upon the chain 16 connected thereto and rocking the bar 16*, which expands the spring 16 so that further tilting movement of the chair will be resisted. The rocker bars 16 also serve as bumpers, whereby should the ends of the platform swing downwardly far enough for the bars to contact with the ground, the jar occasioned thereby will be taken up by the spring 16 through said bar, as will be understood. Pivotally connected to the upper ends of the legs 12 and the outer ends of the arms 13 are operating rods or bars 17 the opposite ends of which are pivotally connected to the upper ends of the posts or uprights 2.

Slidably mounted on suitable tracks, between the beams 7, is a counterbalancing weight 18, to the opposite ends of which are connected the opposite ends of an operating cord or cable 19, said cable being passed around a brake disk or pulley 20, which is journaled in the frame 1, as shown. On the shaft of the pulley 20 is mounted. a crank handle 21, by meansof which the pulley may be revolved, thereby reciprocating the weight 18, as will be understood. Passed around the pulley 20 is a brake band 22, one end of which is securely connected to the frame 1, while the opposite end is connected with a brake lever 23, adapted to be engaged with the rack 24 to hold the same in any desired position, thus providing for the proper adjustment of the brake band on the pulley, which will permit the weight to travel with greater or less speed, as desired.

Pivotally connected to the lower longitudinal bars 4"of the frame 1, adjacent to their opposite ends are supporting posts or props 25, the upper ends of which when said posts are in operative position, are adapted to engage the underside of the beams 7, thereby supporting the platform 6 in a horizontal posltion on the frame 1. Connected to the props 25 are rods 26, the opposite ends of which are connected to a pivotally mounted bar 27, as shown, said bar being mounted on a cross shaft 27 journaled in the frame 1.

On one end of the shaft 27 is fixed a handlever 27", by means of which the shaft is rocked and the bar 27 turned, thereby swinging the props into and out of position to support or release the platform, as will be understood. Arranged on opposite sides of the platform 1 are stairs 28 to afford means of ascent and descent to and from the platform.

In operation, after the seesaw has been started, the motion of the same is kept up by the occupants of the chairs 9 by pressing with the feet against the platform and push ing back against the back of the chair seats, which being pivoted to the platform and connected to the posts or standards 2, will exert the proper force to rock or tilt the platform up and down, this motion being aided by means of the weight 18, which is drawn back and forth along the platform by the arrangement of the cord or cable connected therewith.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a see saw, a supporting frame, a tilting platform pivoted between its ends thereto and having longitudinally extending guide beams, a counterbalancing weight slidably sustained on said beams, guide pulleys ournaled at opposite ends of the path of travel of said weight, a pulley journaled to the frame beneath the platform, a flexible operating cable terminally engaged with the weight and arranged for travel between its ends on the guide pulleys, said cable being led once around the operating pulley for actuation thereby to move the weight back and forth as the platform rocks, seats pivotally sustained at the ends ofithe platform, and connecting bars pivoted to the seats and to the frame for holding the seats in upright position while in operation.

2. In a see saw, a supporting frame, a tilting platform pivoted between its ends thereto and provided with longitudinal guide beams, a counterbalancing weight slidably sustained on said beams, guide pulleys journaled at the ends of the path of travel of the weight, an operating cable terminally attached to the weight and arranged for travel on the guide pulleys, an operating pulley journaled on the frame beneath the platform and having the cable wrapped once therearound for actuation to move the weight back and forth as the platform tilts, a brake band arranged around and to control the movement of the operating pulley, a lever connected with and for tightening said band, means for holding the lever in adjusted positions, seats pivotally sustained at the ends of the platform, connecting bars terminally pivoted to the frame and to the seats for holding the latter in upright position, rocking bars fixed for movement with the respective seats, and expansible springs terminally attached to the forward ends of the rocking bars and to the platform.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set I my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

IVILLIAM L. JENKINS. Witnesses:

MICHAEL HARMON, L. P. WILLIAMS. 

